Center pivot tension awning arm



0. 20, 1942. F. A. ANTON 2,299,067

CENTER PIVOT TENSION AWNING ARM Filed Feb. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3nnentor Freda/ lair a. Q/z?0iz.

Oct. 20, 1942. VF. A.ANTON 2,299,067

CENTER PIVOT TENSION AWNING ARM Filed Feb. 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Z6 I 3nven tor J g; Fredegwkdflnfii;

Clttomegg Patented Oct. 20, 1942 CENTER PIVOT TENSION AWNING ARM Frederick A. Anton, Topeka, Kans., assignor. of one-half to The Astrup Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application February 19, 1940, Serial No. 319,741

2 Claims.

This invention relates to lateral arm awnings and has for its general object to provide for adjustable spring tension means to open and hold the arms in open position.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide spring tension means of the general character noted in which the spring tension adjustment means is readily accessible at the pivotal point between the arms and can be manipulated to vary the tension of the arms when they are either in open or closed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide tensioning means which increases as the arm is swung from closed to open position, thus having its greatest tension to insure the opening or unfolding movement of said arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide power increasing means for mechanically increasing the spring tension which would otherwise be imposed on the arms as they swing from open to closed position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction of the general character set forth in which it is not necessary to factory adjust the spring tension on th arms and ship them under tension, but one in which, on the contrary, the arms can be shipped with the spring tension entirely relaxed as the connecting members are readily accessible without dismantling the arms at the point of installation.

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lateral arm awning embodying the invention, the arms being disclosed in unfolded or open position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view disclosing the center pivotal connection between the arms when they are in folded position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure as disclosed in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, but disclosing the opposite sides of the arms.

Figure 5 is an end view of the pivotally connected ends of the arms when in folded position.

Figure 6 is a broken horizontal section of the connected ends of the arms when in folded position, the section being taken substantially on the line VIVI of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the fitting on the inner end of the outer arm.

outer arms of a lateral arm awning arm, said arms being pivoted together on a bolt 3 as hereinafter particularly described. The inner end of the inner arm I is secured in a fitting 4 as by means of a cross pin 5, and said fitting is pivotally carried by a wall bracket 6 as customary in the art. The outer end of the outer arm 2 carries a fitting I to which an awning pole, not shown, is secured.

The outer end of the inner arm I is received within the tubular end or sleeve portion of a fitting 8 which projects beyond the end of the arm and terminates in a pair of spaced perforated ears 9 and I0, said ears being reinforced and stiffened by a connecting curved web portion II (see Figure 8), forming a housing for certain of the operating mechanism as will hereinafter appear. Formed integrally with the upper ear 9 is a depending web or flange I2 constituting a stop or abutment to limit opening movement of the arms as will be hereinafter described.

The inner end of the outer arm 2 is received within a tubular or sleeve portion of a fitting I3, said fitting terminating beyond the proximate end of said arm 2 with a plurality of spaced perforated ears I4, I5 and I6 (see Figure '7). The ears of the two fittings 8 and I3 of the inner and outer arms respectively, are fitted together, the ear 9 being received between the ears I4 and I5 (see Figure 5), and the lower ear I6 of the fitting I3 resting on the lower ear III of the fitting 8, and when their perforations are alined the two arms are pivotally secured together by the pivot bolt 3 extending down through said alined perforations in the ears.

The inner arm I, if tubular as shown, encloses a tensioned spring II, which may be secured at one end to the cross pin 5 adjacent the inner end of the inner arm. The opposite ends of the spring Il may be connected by a strap or the like I8 to one end of a flexible or linkage connector I9 which passes out of the open end of the inner arm I, the free end of the connector being attached to the outer arm 2. With this construction, by reference to Figure 6, it will be evident that if the spring I! is under tension, it will exert force tending to swing the arms from their full to their dotted line positions, that is swing the arms from closed to open position.

In the preferred construction, the flexible connector I9 is secured to the outer arm 2 in such a manner that the tension on the spring I! can be adjusted, such a construction being as follows: If it is desired to have a cam effect on the tensioning means to multiply or increase the tension over the effect of the eccentric mounting of the pivot bolt 3 in relation to the center line of pull on the flexible connection, the ear E6 of the fitting l3 may be formed integrally with an eccentric or cam surface 20, it being understood, however, that this eccentric surface is not essential to the operation of the parts except as a power increasing or leverage multiplying element.

The operating surface of the ear-cam 56-28 is alined for rolling guiding engagement by the flexible connector H). To adjustably connect the end of said flexible connector to the outer arm 2, a threaded headed bolt 2| is journaled in a flange 22 projecting from the web 23 of the fitting I3, and said bolt is provided with an anchoring nut or tensioning block 2 3 threaded for travel lengthwise of the bolt, and consequently substantially longitudinally of the arm 2, when said bolt is rotated. The anchoring or tensioning block 24 has a projecting hook 25 for detachable engagement With th end of the flexible connector 55. \Vith this construction it will be evident that by rotating the bolt, the tensioning block will be caused to travel on the bolt, to increase or diminish the tension on the spring H.

In actual practice the machining of the parts is to be avoided and consequently it is not always practical to have the pull on the bolt 28 in precise alinement with its axis at right angles to its head. It is, therefore, desirable to provide means reinforcing the bolt 2! against side strain wln'ch would tend to shear its head abutting the projecting flange 22. The drawings illustrate two methods of reinforcing the bolt against side strain, and it is preferred that either one or the other, or both, constructions should be used. One method of holding the bolt 25 in position is to form the proximate face of the cam portion 228 with an unthreaded socket 25 receiving the end of the bolt 2! and holding the axis of the bolt at a fixed angle in relation to the proximate Web 23 of the fitting l3; and the other method is to form said web 23 with a pair of spaced parallel L-shaped flanges 21, or their equivalent, which are slidingly engaged in grooves 28 formed on the underface of the travelling anchor or tension block 24 (see Figure 7). In order to limit the opening movement of the arms so that the pivot 3 may not pass center and lock the arms against movement, the web 23 of the fitting l3 carries an adjustable stop bolt 29, which is adapted to come into abutment with the stop flange l 2 of the fitting 8 as previously mentioned.

While I have described and illustrated the preferred construction, it is to be understood that I reserve the right to all changes Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a folding awning arm construction including inner and outer arms hinged together, at least one of said arms being tubular, tensioning means urging said arms to unfolded position including a spring in said tubular arm, a linkage pivotally connected at one end to said spring, a linkage guide mounted on the hinge connecting the arms and receiving said linkage, a threaded bolt bearing a journaled relation to the other arm and having one end socketed in said linkage guide, and an anchor member threaded on said bolt and connected to the other end of the linkage to effect tensioning of the spring upon rotation of the bolt.

2. in a folding awning arm construction including inner and outer arms hinged together, at least one of said arms being tubular, tensioning means urging said arms to unfolded position including a spring in said tubular arm, a linkage pivotally connected at one end to said spring, a leverage increasing cam mounted on the hinge connecting the arms and bearing on said linkage, a bolt bearing a journaled relation to the other arm and having one end socketed in said cam, and an anchor member threaded on said bolt and connected to the other end of said linkage to effect tensioning of the spring upon rotation of the bolt.

FREDERICK A. ANTON. 

